Jesus I just realised that it’s the end of the year, and the decade in less than 2 weeks.You know I can remember [barely mind] new years eve 1979. I mean I was only 5 but clearly remember that date. You never forget certain dates no matter what age. Especially in that year as my birthday party was shared with my sister [we are separated by 2 years but are born 3 days apart!] never nice to share birthdays unwillingly. I do remember though different birthday cakes. She had Donald Duck & I had Mickey Mouse - those piped whipped creations of birthday past. I remember that year vividly Perth celebrating its 150 sequentennial. Black Swans for days EVERYWHERE. But NYE '79 - we were dragged to a party to a local community hall in North Beach. I remember party lights, halter necks & moustaches, women drinking cask Moselle and men drinking Beer. Lots of tanned and red skin. Oh and everyone was smoking. I remember the highlight being the Conga line, streamers and horns at midnight. More Don's Party [even the politics spoken] than Abigail's Party. 1980 would bring a whole decade of school and ‘the bright future’. Whatever that was.
Then NYE 1989. I had finished lower school with only 2 more to go, Love shack was just on the radio [destined to be a hit] and I was 15 with a fringe from hell, at a house party in the suburbs. The women had moved onto perms and chardonnay, while the men still on beer. It had been a big year in an even bigger decade. We saw the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Cold War was over apparently]. We also saw [the rise and rise and subsequent] fall of the stock market and about to head into a murky recession. And fash was still mental. I remember all the teenage kids were all hanging out near the pool taking shit and embarrassed for our parents. Midnight came - no dancing - but well wishes for the new decade. I made a plan that night that I was going to fall in love before the next year eve. And I did. I just didn’t know at the time it was going to be with a man.
Next was 1999 and I didn't party like the song suggested. I was at a very grown up private house party in the right bit of South Yarra. It was champagne with a view of the fireworks at midnight with people I didn't know and never saw again. Pleasant, smart but restrained -a little disappointing for the end of the decade/century & millennium. In bed by 1am. Alone. It summed up the last 10 years for me – trying to do the right things and being myself. Struggling to find my own way in the world. Coming out and all the drama with it - especially with my family. Going to university, finishing my degree and then never using it. A 3 and a half year relationship that fizzed out and a string of jobs I was never really happy with. The new decade/century & millennium was going to be a fresh start.
And the last 10 years have been. Personally and professionally they have had their challenges but many triumphs. The last year has been much harder than the rest as much has happened, especially with our families, work and each other. [NB I wanted to originally use this blog for most of my personal experiences but even I can’t go into these details as they are too personal and private. I think there is something to be said to share your life, but you always need to have some of it private for personal sanctuary].
So NYE 2009. We are going to be in Perth. No plans. And it doesn’t matter as it’s just another day in the big scheme of things. But it’s good to reflect on the years past. And welcome in the new one, no matter what it brings.
Have a safe holiday and I'll be back in 2010.
X b
The first John Brack I saw was at the Art Gallery of WA in the 1980’s – one of his pair of ballroom dancers painted in black, white and lime green. I loved it. It was wonderful that the piece was included in the exhibition. I loved all the other ballroom paintings included as well such as Latin American Grand Final and didn’t realise that they were the inspiration of Baz Lurhman’s flashback scene in Strictly Ballroom. He managed to capture the same glamour and wonderful movement as Brack did. His later work removed subjects and concentrated on inanimate objects which although had much meaning behind them...to be honest it was a bit lost on me. I feel that his human subjects proved a better source of his style.
I then headed to St Kilda road gallery for High Tea to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Well, as a lover of High T – I must admit the gallery’s was v. good. After about 3 bottles of sparking the HT troupe made our way to the exhibition. Surprisingly after viewing Australian post war artist to the King of Surrealism was actually not such a leap – but it could have been the wine playing art travel agent.
Now Dali was never one of my favourites. It was always too ‘weird ‘when I was younger and quite frankly ‘messy’. Ah how our tastes change when we get older [thankfully for the better]as the exhibition was amazing. Subtitled ‘Liquid Desire’ it showcased some of his most spectacular works. The selection was so varied from painting to film to jewellery, sculpture and animation. Again I think some of the work was lost on me and I question the critic’s text to explain the painting – sometimes it comes across as dictating a subjective point of view of the art to the viewer – however his landscapes and portraits really touched me. The choice of colour palate and how he framed the scene [especially those of Spain] clearly showed he had a great understanding of his subject as well as his skills as an artist – same way Brack framed Collins St at 5pm – different artists & styles but creating wonderful art.
I really enjoyed the animation of Destino and thought it was a shame that Disney didn’t proceed with Dali’s animation at the time – its amazing the man had the intelligence to engage an artist but not the balls to carry it through.
Even if you are not a fan of either artist its a fantastic opportunity to view both of these masters work in the one space.
I always have sick issues - I am forever needling to do things so staying on my arse in bed watching Kerry Anne/that bogan on 10 and Oprah starts to get to me so i caught up with some serious DVD watching - Kill Bill VOL 1 & 2, The Pianist[ I did heavy weeping] and Victoria Wood as seen on TV - I know quite a combination - A bit like ordering a steak from Hogsbreath cafe with a Cheese Souffle from Jacques Raymond and a Marks & Spencer raspberry Trifle from the trolley - but I digress.
Jump to now and the humble PC does more things that the ones NASA was using to place Neil Armstrong on the moon. And now with the email who needs the humble postage service for a letter? Goodbye to the humble typewriter or even fax machine too. Let alone the endless possibilities that the Internet can offer - information from shopping to online billing & banking services, gaming, history, networking sites like 
Well after reading all the reviews on this film you would think that Baz delivered a lemon to the big screen. In fact, probably why it took me so long to go see it.
Now don’t get me wrong, the first twenty minutes of hearing Nic’s English accent is unsettling, as with how Baz does the whole quick play of how she comes to Australia [this verges on the camp – yes even for moi] thankfully this is only one part of the tale.
Speaking of which, the quality of each performer are equally as high. So many accomplished Australian actors [which the exception of Geoffrey Rush & Kate Blanchet!] are in this film. Jack Thompson plays a drunk Englishman in a supporting role which is very funny. Nicole is very good [minus the first 20 minutes of the accent] and Hugh, well he is very believable as the Drover [and yes he gets his shirt off a few times] and I didn’t even mind the ‘crikey’ slang he speaks. The young actor Brandon Walters is brilliant as the aboriginal boy caught between his traditional roots and the world of ‘white Australia’ of the 1940’s. In fact the entire cast does a marvelous job.
Well its been a busy holiday season...one that Martha herself would be most proud...just not in that orange outfit [uh isn't bad enough to send people to jail LET alone choose the colour orange - ironically it is a majestic colour...the Royal house of Holland is known as the House of orange...but I digress.]
So on top of the entertaining...I managed to make Pea & Ham soup (from left over Christmas Ham) and jam and liqueur from a friends bumper crop of Cherry Plums (both pictured above, and yes still waiting on Ms Stewart to call for the recipe)...waiting on the apricots for more jam and lemons for preserving...so in between the hostess [with definitely the most'est] gig I'm doing my best impersonation of a 50's housewife - which I don't mind however I don't think I would have the same pinny as her below....but I do like her mixer. 
Got me thinking that Housewife's role hasn't really disappeared rather really just merged with ourselves [Yes I know some more than others- moi for example] - and unlike the Fabulous 50's housewife of yesteryear we have just taken some of the traditional tasks and chosen the ones we like and discarded the ones we do not like/use or made redundant. Or employ others to action [like house cleaner, child carer etc]. This, of course, isn't a bad thing. 
